| A | B |
|---|
| Appeal | An application to a higher court for a decision to be reversed. |
| Appellate Courts | Court that generally reviews only findings of law made by lower courts |
| Appellate Jurisdiction | The power vested in particular courts to review and/or revise the decision of a lower court |
| Case Law | The law as established by the outcome of former cases. |
| Chief Justice | The highest position in a particular court of law; |
| Civil Case Law | Involve private disputes between persons or organizations. |
| Code of Hammurabi | Collection of laws put together by the Amorite king Hammurabi. The laws applied equally to everyone in the kingdom, and they were placed in public places so everyone would know what they were. Laws were harsh (i.e. eye for an eye). |
| Constitutional Law | Law that relates to interpreting, implementing and amending the United States constitution and the constitutions of the 50 states |
| Criminal Case/Law | Deals with the fundamental principles by which the government exercises its authority. |
| Defendant | An individual, company, or institution sued or accused in a court of law. |
| Felony | A crime, typically one involving violence, regarded as more serious than a misdemeanor, and usually punishable by imprisonment for more than one year or by death. |
| Florida Circuit Court | State courts with jurisdiction in Florida |
| Florida County Courts | courts in each of Florida’s 67 counties have jurisdiction to try criminal cases classified as misdemeanors, civil actions where the amount in controversy is less than $15,000, small claims cases, landlord and tenant disputes and other miscellaneous actions. Traffic citations are usually held at the county courts. |
| Florida Supreme Court | The highest court in Florida -it consists of seven members—the Chief Justice and six Justices. Five members are chosen from five districts around the state to foster geographic diversity and two are selected at-large. Justices are appointed by the governor and reelected by the people every 6 years. |
| Independent Judiciary | The concept that the judiciary needs to be kept away from the other branches of government. That is, courts should not be subject to improper influence from the other branches of government, or from private or partisan interests. |
| Judicial Review | A process under which executive and legislative actions are subject to review by the judiciary. Marbury v. Madison established this principle in the US. |
| Judge | A public official appointed to decide cases in a court of law. |
| Jurisdiction | The official power to make legal decisions and judgments. |
| Jury/Juror | A body of people (typically twelve in number) sworn to give a verdict in a legal case on the basis of evidence submitted to them in court. |
| Juvenile Law | is defined as a person who is not old enough to be held responsible for criminal acts. In most states and on the federal level, this age is set at 18 years. |
| Military Law | Is the body of laws and procedures governing members of the armed forces. Its formal name is the Uniform Code of Military Justice. |
| Misdemeanor/ Misdemeanor Law | A lesser crime punishable by a fine and/or county jail time for up to one year |
| Penal Code | A code of laws concerning crimes and offenses and their punishment. |
| Plaintiff | A person who brings a case against another in a court of law. |
| Precedent | A previous case or issue decided by a court that can be used to help answer future legal questions. |
| Prosecutor | lawyer who conducts the case against a defendant in a criminal court. |
| Prosecute | to hold a trial against a person who is accused of a crime to see if that person is guilty. |
| Statutory Law | laws passed by a legislator body. |
| Summary Judgement | Essentially is a trial on paper; it is a way for the court to preview the evidence and decide whether or not it's worth going to trial; there is a debate about whether summary judgment is constitutional because parties are entitled to due process which includes notice and a hearing |
| Trial Court | A court of law where cases are tried first as opposed to an appeals court. |
| Verdict | The decision in a criminal or civil case |
| U.S. Court of Appeals | 12 courts that handle appeals from lower federal district courts. |
| U.S. Supreme Court | The highest federal court in the US, consisting of nine justices and taking judicial precedence over all other courts in the nation. |
